Jordan Payne doesn’t pay attention to numbers when he in on the field.
Like any other player, Payne knows when he is having a good game, and he has had plenty of them this season with double-digit tackles.
Garrett Anthony is the same way, although he has a different motivation to pay closer attention to a certain number.
On Friday, Anthony nearly hit the magic number — six — that his brother, former Victory Christian standout Anthony Sharp, hit seven times in a game as a member of the school’s football team.
Anthony rushed for four touchdowns and 171 yards and threw for another score, while Payne rushed for 106 yards and led Victory Christian with nine tackles in a 56-22 victory against First Assembly (Ala.).
For their efforts, Anthony and Payne are The Dispatch’s co-Prep Players of the Week.
“I go out there and try my best and try to help my team out,” said Payne, who has had as many as 18 tackles in a game this season. “I just try to do my part and do my job.”
Payne and Anthony have played football at the school since they were in the third grade. In addition to playing middle linebacker, Payne also plays running back, fullback, tight end, and on special teams. He looks forward to the first contact of the game because he said it gives him a rush.
“I like hitting people,” Payne said. “It sets the mood and how the game is going to go.”
Payne feels his teammates pick up on the energy he brings on defense. Anthony was one of those players who followed Payne’s lead, scoring on runs of 3, 7, 10, and 66 yards. He said he doesn’t go out every game expecting to score five touchdowns, but he kept track Friday because he hopes to challenge his brother for family bragging rights.
Anthony said he was most proud of his touchdown pass, a 67-yarder to senior Tyler Nelson. It was Nelson’s first career touchdown.
“When I threw it, it kind of slipped and looked like a duck going down there,” Anthony said. “I underthrew him, but he came back and got it. I knew once he caught it he was going to be gone because he was wide open.”
Victory Christian coach Chris Hamm said Payne has come into his own this season and has learned how to take on a bigger leadership role. He said Payne doesn’t mind contact and has played a key role on both sides of the ball. On defense, he said Payne is so effective because the Eagles try to turn him loose and allow him to chase the ball. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Payne has the size and speed to be a dominating force.
“We have got some other defensive players who have good instincts and a good nose for the ball, but at this point they are not very big, but they still make plays,” Hamm said. “Jordan has both, especially for our league (the Christian Football Association).”
While Hamm was pleased with Payne’s performance, he said Anthony’s five-touchdown effort was the culmination of a lot of hard work after the 6-foot, 155-pound junior suffered a collar bone injury last season that forced him to miss significant time. Hamm said Anthony excels in a variety of roles and also is learning how to be a bigger and better leader.
Hamm said the return of lineman Bailey Parker helped Victory Christian (3-4) establish a running game. He said Parker’s ability to get out from his guard position allowed Anthony and the Eagles to have one of their best offensive games of the season.
“Garrett runs hard. He has run hard all year, blocking or no,” Hamm said. “Having our line back gave us what we needed. I was proud of him and the whole team.”
In addition to his duties at linebacker, Payne has seen action at tight end. Against First Assembly, Hamm said Victory Christian went back to more of their tight-set formations, where Payne had a chance to rack up the yards at fullback. Playing that position gives Payne a chance to inflict a little more punishment on the other side of the ball.
“Garrett has been the workhorse from the running back position the entire year,” Hamm said. “He has played really well. He has been very durable for us this year and has stayed healthy and run hard and matured a great deal to taking on that role.”
Hamm and the players hope the momentum from the victory helps Victory Christian close the season on a high note. The team’s game at 7 p.m. Thursday against archrival Tuscaloosa Christian will wrap up the season. Even with a win, Hamm said the Eagles won’t be able to claim a tiebreaker to earn one of the CFA’s four playoff spots. Still, Hamm and the players are looking forward to the opportunity to beat their longtime nemesis and end the season at .500.
“A lot of people contributed against First Assembly, so I hope that carries over,” Hamm said. “Tuscaloosa is a very sound team and has a really good quarterback. He makes their team. … It is going to be a tall order for us, but confidence wise if we go in there and just play smart ball in the first quarter and not let them get ahead of us, we can make a game out of it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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